Posts: 14

Topic: FAT32: Use dosfslabel from dosfstools

Package dosfstools is required for formatting and checking FAT32 file system. For changing label is needed mlabel utility from mtools package. But dosfstools contains also dosfslabel utility which can read/change label. Please add support for dosfslabel for ability to format FAT32 file system and change FAT32 label without need to install mtools package.

Re: FAT32: Use dosfslabel from dosfstools

You can run "dosfslabel --version" or "fatlabel --version" to check for current version at runtime in gparted. That would allow to work with also without dosfslabel/fatlabel when mlabel is still present.

Re: FAT32: Use dosfslabel from dosfstools

The preference is to keep the code as simple as possible which makes it easier to maintain. The reason for the research request is to see if it is currently feasible to replace mtools with dosfstools on every supported distro.

Re: FAT32: Use dosfslabel from dosfstools

Thank you pali for your further research.

Since dosfstools is not yet able to replace the features of mtools used in GParted, it looks like we will continue to require mtools. Since mtools works for labeling and setting UUID, and because the code to support mtools is already written and tested, there appears to be less impetus to implement dosfslabel at this time.

Re: FAT32: Use dosfslabel from dosfstools

Which means that when gparted formatting disk to FAT and user does not specify label, then empty label is not stored correctly. When label is not specified, then gparted should not pass -n "" option. I will prepare patch for this problem.